In July 1937, the heroine, Shen Lanling, is the owner of a cloth shop. When the secret police seize her younger brother and use him to threaten her, she is forced to marry the hero, Zhang Hanzhou, a business magnate in Shanghai’s French Concession, as his third wife. Thus begins a dual drama of household intrigue and espionage. Zhang Hanzhou appears to be a wily old fox navigating the world of business, but in reality he is a Communist underground operative.
Later, when the Battle of Shanghai breaks out, the harsh realities of war deepen Shen Lanling’s patriotism, and she decides to join the organization and fight alongside the others as an underground operative. By then, her brother has been rescued, so no one can use him to threaten her anymore. Rescuing comrades, delivering intelligence, and other tasks she once never dared imagine come naturally to her. The other two wives in the Zhang household have connections of their own, so what appears to be domestic rivalry is really a covert struggle between opposing forces.
After testing each other, Shen Lanling and the hero discover they are on the same side. When Shanghai falls completely, their superiors order them to remain undercover. Their lives are filled with the brutality of battle and the small details of everyday life, until at last the dawn breaks.
